Page 11 - Modern Robotics Building Versatile Macines

PREFACE xi

A number of additional features provide further context for the
biographies in these books. Each chapter includes a chronology and
suggestions for further reading. In addition, a glossary and a general
bibliography (including organizations and Web resources) appear
at the end of each book. Several types of sidebars are also used in
the text to explore particular aspects of the profiled scientists’ and
inventors’ work:

Connections Describes the relationship between the featured work
and other scientific or technical developments.
I Was There Presents first-hand accounts of discoveries or inventions.
Issues Discusses scientific or ethical issues raised by the discovery
or invention.
Other Scientists (or Inventors) Describes other individuals who
played an important part in the work being discussed.
Parallels Shows parallel or related discoveries.
Social Impact Suggests how the discovery or invention affects or
might affect society and daily life.
Solving Problems Explains how a scientist or inventor dealt with a
particular technical problem or challenge.
Trends Presents data or statistics showing how developments in a
field changed over time.

Our hope is that readers will be intrigued and inspired by these
stories of the human quest for understanding, exploration, and
innovation. We have tried to provide the context and tools to enable
readers to forge their own connections and to further pursue their
fields of interest.